The elevator opened directly into the ICU check-in desk.
“I’m Quint Alexander, here to see Darrow Whittaker,” he said to the woman sitting there.
“She’s in room 412, but only relatives are allowed into the ICU. Are you related to Ms. Whittaker?”
“I’m her husband,” Quint barked.
“Please sign here and then you can go in. Who is this with you?”
“Her sister.”
The woman motioned for Merrigan to sign in as well. “It’s the third room on the left,” she told them as she buzzed them in.
“Go ahead,” Merrigan said when they reached the door. “I’ll wait out here.”
QUINT HADN’T STOPPED PRAYING since he ended his call with Cody James. He had no idea what Darrow’s condition was, but that she was in the ICU meant it might be bad. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Thank God,” he mumbled when he saw her sitting up in bed, not looking much worse than she had the last time he saw her. He raced over and took her hand.
“Hi,” she said, looking into his eyes.
“Hi.” He had so many questions, the same ones he’d had when he ended his call with Cody James, but none of them mattered at this moment. He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. She was the one to push her tongue into his mouth. He wanted to take her in his arms, but he had no idea how she’d been hurt. He ended their kiss and sat in the chair beside her. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” she murmured. “Sore, my head is pounding, and I have no idea what happened except that I was shot and lost a lot of blood. My memory is coming back little by little, but I haven’t remembered enough to piece it all together.”
Quint didn’t hear anything beyond her saying she was shot. “You don’t know who shot you?”
“Only from what Cassie has told me.”
“Who did she say it was?”
“Her uncle.”
“Do you know what happened to him?”
Darrow’s eyes scrunched, and she nodded. “I shot him. I shot the other one too.” She closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow. “There was a fire,” she said, opening her eyes.
“There was. A bad one.”
“One of them started it. I had to get the couple out of the shack.”
Quint nodded and stroked her forehead. “Don’t force it, sweetheart. It’ll come to you.” He scrubbed his face with his hand. “I want to take you in my arms and hold you close to me, but I don’t want to hurt you. Do you know where you were shot?”
She pointed to a place right below her breast. “Here.”
Quint was damn glad he was sitting down or he might’ve passed out. She was shot in the chest yet she was still alive?
“Hello,” a nurse said when she walked in. “I understand you’re Ms. Whittaker’s husband?”
“That’s right,” he said, winking at Darrow.
“Were you aware you had a husband?” the nurse asked her, winking too.
Darrow smiled but didn’t answer.
“Your sister is waiting in the hall. My guess is you didn’t know you had one of those either.” The nurse turned to Quint.
“If you’re about to tell me to leave, you’re gonna have to call security to get me outta here, and I’m not gonna make it easy on them.”
The nurse rested her hand on his arm. “I was going to tell you that you can invite Ms. Whittaker’s sister into the room. She’s permitted two visitors at a time.”
Quint nodded. “In a minute. I need more time alone with my wife.”
The nurse left after recording some things on her computer.
“Your wife? Is that right?”
Quint took both of Darrow’s hands in his. “If you’ll have me, I’d love to be your husband.”
“Quint, you don’t have to—”
“What don’t I have to do? Tell you how much I love you? Because I do. With all my heart.”
Darrow studied him.
He reached out and cupped her cheek. “I have more to say.”
“Okay,” she murmured, meeting his gaze.
Quint cleared his throat. “If I’ve learned anything in the last three days, it’s that life can change on a dime. As I sat in a backhoe, moving dirt, one thought kept running through my mind. I want you in my life, Darrow. Whatever it takes to make that happen, I’m willing to do. I love the ranch—it’s part of who I am—but without you, I don’t know that I’d love it as much. In fact, I fear that I’d grow to hate it.”
“What are you saying?”
“That at the end of my life, I don’t want to look back and regret choosing my job over you.”
“It’s more than your job, Quint. You just said that the ranch is part of who you are. I could never ask—”
“You aren’t asking. I’m the one asking. Or at least I’m trying to.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “I love you, Darrow, and while this isn’t the most romantic proposal in the world, I have to do it. Here and now. Will you marry me, Darrow?”
The seconds it took her to answer, felt like hours.
“Of course I’ll marry you. I love you, Quint.”
He bent down and rested his head on their clasped hands. “I almost lost you,” he murmured, feeling the tears flow from his eyes and on their hands. “I would’ve died if you had. I love you so much.”
“You must understand that I won’t let you leave the ranch, Quint.”
“I will if that’s what it takes for us to be together.”
“I have another idea,” said Merrigan, standing just inside the open door. “Let’s reopen the discussion about you training with K19.”
Darrow smiled.
“There’s been a change, however, that I should make you aware of.”
“What’s that?” Darrow asked with wide eyes.
“You’ll be training with me.”
“With you?”
“That’s right, with me. You’re good, Darrow, and with me mentoring you, you are going to make the best bloody K19 team member there’s ever been.”
“No pressure or anything,” said Darrow, holding her side when she laughed.
Merrigan turned to him. “We can work it out so Darrow’s home base is at the ranch, just like Z’s was at one time. But I beg you, Quint. Don’t ask her to walk away from her training or her career.”
“Never,” he said, staring into his Shadow’s eyes. “I love her far too much to let her walk away from her dream.”
EPILOGUE
JULY
“You’re beautiful,” said Quint when Darrow came down the stairs of Bristol House, followed by Merrigan and True.
“Aren’t you supposed to be with Axel?” she whispered.
“Yeah, but I had to do this first.”
Quint pulled her to him and kissed her.
“You’re wearing more lipstick than I am now,” she teased.
Quint took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his mouth. “The only reason I’m doing this is because there are going to be photos. I don’t want our kids ever looking at Axel and Esland’s wedding album and asking why their daddy had lipstick on.”
“I love you, Mr. Alexander.”
“I love you more, Mrs. Alexander.”
Quint rushed off to join Axel where he stood by the garden gate, waiting to marry Darrow’s best friend.
“I can’t believe you two got married before we did,” said True.
“I can’t believe Quint insisted you do it before you left the hospital,” added Merrigan.
True had asked Darrow the night before if she regretted not having a formal wedding.
“Everything was as it was meant to be,” Darrow had answered. “Just like you and Axel are meant to be.”
Merrigan took a step forward when they heard the music begin to play.
“I’m so happy for you, True,” she whispered while they waited for Merrigan to reach the gate.
“I’m so happy for you, Darrow.”
She rubbed her belly a
s she took a step forward. “Later today, we’ll tell your daddy that you’re on your way,” she whispered. “And after you’re born, I’ll tell you the story of how he almost wore lipstick to your Aunt True and Uncle Axel’s wedding.”
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at the first book in
Heather Slade’s newest series,
The Invincibles,
Decked
DECKED
As he drove home, something on the side of the road caught Deck’s eye. What the hell was that? Couldn’t be a deer; not in these parts. It wasn’t big enough to be a cow, unless it was a damn skinny one.
Decker stopped the truck, backed up, parked, and climbed out. He thought it might be a manikin someone tossed out, until it started to moan.
“Jesus,” he muttered, rushing over to the woman. It was dark and she was on her side, but Decker didn’t know her. She was pretty enough that if she was from around here, he sure as hell would’ve.
“Don’t move,” he said when the woman tried to sit up. He leaned down farther and eased his hand under her head. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I have to go,” she cried, trying again to move. “He’ll kill me.”
“Who’s gonna kill you?”
“My father.”
Those were the last words the woman said before she first lost consciousness, and then died with her head resting on Decker’s hand.
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Decked
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for your support—want to know more? Check out my website!
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Heather
ALSO BY HEATHER SLADE
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SECTION 6
Book One: Shiver
Book Two: Wilder
Book Three: Pinch
Book Four: Shadow
Coming Soon!
Book Five: Quiver
New Series Coming Soon!
THE INVINCIBLES
Book One: Decked
Book Two: Edged
Book Three: Grinded
Book Four: Riled
K19 SECURITY SOLUTIONS
Book One: Razor
Book Two: Gunner
Book Three: Mistletoe
Book Four: Mantis
Book Five: Dutch
Book Six: Striker
Coming Soon!
Book Seven: Monk
BUTLER RANCH
Available Now!
Book One: Brodie
Book Two: Maddox
Book Three: Naughton
Book Four: Mercer
Book Five: Kade
COWBOYS OF CRESTED BUTTE
Available Now!
Book One: Fall for Me
Book Two: Dance with Me
Book Three: Kiss Me Cowboy
Book Four: Stay with Me
Book Five: Win Me Over
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Also by Heather Slade
Prologue
Part I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Part II
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
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Decked
About the Author
Also by Heather Slade